Relocating bees - Ask Extension
Do you have referrals for relocating honey bees from a hollowed tree knot?
Knowledgebase
Relocating bees #868680
Asked May 16, 2024, 10:34 AM EDT
Do you have referrals for relocating honey bees from a hollowed tree knot?
Anne Arundel County Maryland
Expert Response
You can use the swarm retrieval list from the Maryland State Beekeepers Association to see if there is someone willing to try to relocate honey bees. (They will generally not remove wasps, though a few might. That said, yellowjackets and hornets are not likely to have any noticeable nest activity this early in the season, while honey bees would.)
Miri
Miri
Thanks for responding. What do I do if no one is willing to relocate the honey bees? Isn't it illegal to kill them?
We are not aware of any federal, state, or local law prohibiting the killing of honey bees, though the insects should be concretely identified before eradication is attempted. (We can't see any of the bees in question in the photos to offer an ID.) Honey bees are non-native in North America and can compete with locally native wild bees for resources like pollen and nectar, so are not considered desirable for the ecosystem when they are feral (outside of a managed hive).
Miri
Miri
